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Other possible complications include:
Recurrence of disease: Although FESS gives the vast majority of patients significant relief from their symptoms, surgery is not a cure for most forms of sinusitis. Therefore, you can expect to continue with your sinus medications even after successful sinus surgery, although you probably won't need to use as much medication as you used to. In some instances, additional "touch-up" surgery may be necessary to optimize your surgical outcome. This may be necessary in 5 to 10 percent of cases.
Spinal fluid leak: Because the sinuses are located in close proximity to the brain, there is a rare chance of creating a leak of spinal fluid (the fluid surrounding the brain) or injuring the brain. This happens in less than 1 percent of cases. If a leak were to occur, it might require more surgery and extend your hospitalization. Symptoms would include profuse clear watery discharge from the nose, but a spinal fluid leak can be quite difficult to detect. The surgeon should identify and fix the problem at the time of surgery.
Visual problems: There have been a few reports of visual loss after sinus surgery. The eye or orbit can be injured during surgery, causing injury to the muscles or optic nerve. The potential for recovery in such cases is not good. In addition, eye injury resulting in double vision, blurring vision, or excessive tearing from the eye are additional potential complications. Such complications have been reported in less than 1 percent of cases.
Other uncommon risks of surgery include alteration of sense of smell or taste; persistence and/or worsening of sinus symptoms and facial pain; and swelling or bruising of the area around the eye.
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